Contrasting Disability Models and the Communication Profile of a PDA-Autistic Tween

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Abstract

This paper highlights the importance of integrating community-based knowledge into traditional frameworks and knowledge bases to promote inclusion and equity for neurodivergent individuals. I compare how family, clinicians, and educators interpreted the communication and behaviors of an 11-year-old boy with an atypical autistic profile through contrasting medical and social models of disability, each uniquely shaping the child’s supports and trajectory at school and home. A key outcome was the Communication and Regulation Profile (CARP), developed through analyses of 400+ pages of ethnographic fieldnotes, and emphasizing assets rather than deficits. The CARP presumes that all communication and behavior are functional responses to the environment, is aligned with trauma-informed communication, and informs connection and safety with adults who support the child.

Author

• Kerry A. Enright, University of California - Davis